Libyan prime minister Fayez Al-Serraj met Italian primer Matteo Renzi during a visit to Rome on Monday, his first to Europe after the signing of a landmark accord earlier this month to create a unity government in the strife-wracked country.
After the meeting, Renzi voiced "full confidence in the capacity of the new Libyan authorities to address imminent challenges starting with the formation of the government".
"The new Libya will be able to count on the full support that Italy...to ensure the restoration of essential services, the creation of industrial development and the stabilisation of the country," Renzi said.
At the meeting, Renzi and al-Serraj agreed to help implement the United Nations-brokered accord signed in Morocco on 17 December which foresees the creation of a national-unity government in Tripoli headed by al-Serraj, who is a businessman.
Al-Serraj said the Italian embassy and consulate would return to Tripoli as soon as possible" and that Libya would work to reinstate a 2008 cooperation and friendship accord with Italy that ""will help our economic reforms and the return of foreign investments".
Italy's foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni was also present at Monday's meeting.
Oil-rich Libya has plunged into lawlessness since a NATO-backed revolt that overthrew dictator long-time Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with an internationally recognised government based in the eastern city of Tobruk and the Islamist-leaning General National Congress based in Tripoli.
The rival governments, each backed by a multitude of militias allowed Islamic State jihadists to take control of the coastal oil hub of Sirte and the chaos has forced several countries to evacuate their citizens and diplomats.
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